Board of Advisors

Dr. Folami Prescott-Adams is President of HTI Catalysts, a network of consultants that provides coaching, facilitation, and professional development to schools and youth and community-based organizations. Among work arising from this work was a four-year assignment as Director of Leadership Development for KIPP Metro Atlanta. Folami loves the fact that Community Guilds teaches students to be creators, not just consumers. "I see minds churning and critical thinking happening right before my eyes," says Folami. Her dream invention is a virtual empathy machine, something "that allows us to feel – using all senses – what other people in specific life circumstances feel."

Dr. Folami Prescott Adams

Matt Candler is Founder and CEO of 4.0 Schools in New Orleans, LA. "4.0 Schools offers a platform for teachers, technologists, and entrepreneurs to create bold solutions for the real problems in America’s schools," explains the organization's website. The level of ownership that kids can claim in their STE(A)M Truck work is what excites Matt most about Community Guilds. "Engagement is through the roof," says Matt. In his spare time, Matt would simply more of what he's already making: electric motorcycles. "It's mostly an excuse to buy tools and surf eBay," confesses Matt.

Matt Candler

Maria Ebrahimji is a journalist, independent consultant, and co-founder of I Speak For Myself, a book series and publishing platform that produces interfaith and intercultural titles. Maria previously worked for CNN for 15 years as a journalist, editor, director, and producer. She is thrilled with how Community Guilds inspires and enables children to build BIG. And if she could build anything herself? "I want a robot that zaps the weeds in my yard and waters all my plants so they don’t die during our hot Atlanta summers!"

Maria EBRAHIMJI

Adam Green is the founder and executive director of Rocking the Boat, a New York-based nonprofit that is a kindred spirit of Community Guilds; the organization "empowers young people from the South Bronx to develop the self-confidence to set ambitious goals and gain the skills necessary to achieve them. Students work together to build wooden boats, learn to row and sail, and restore local urban waterways, revitalizing their community while creating better lives for themselves." What Adam likes most about Community Guilds could have been said by Community Guilds' founder Jason Martin: "it offers kids the opportunity to learn, not just through doing, but through creating real things that actually work. That is the kind of learning that builds community, changes people, and transforms lives." Given the opportunity to build anything, Adam would stick to what he knows best: wooden boats!

ADAM GREEN

 
Diley Hernandez is the GoSTEM Program Director in the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) at Georgia Tech. Being a STEM professional, she loves the fact that Community Guilds enables youth “to engage in fun and meaningful STEM experiences.” Diley is already a maker in her spare time: she makes art. She’s a musician, songwriter, and painter!

Dr. DILEY HERNANDEZ

 

David Jernigan is the Deputy Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools and was previously the Executive Director of KIPP Metro Atlanta. David was intimately involved in the first STE(A)M Truck pilot at KIPP Ways, the school at which he was the founding principal. He is most excited about the way Community Guilds connects classroom learning with real-world problems. As for his dream invention, David would like to make a coffee maker that brews variable amounts on demand so that "I don’t have to choose between convenient small cups of coffee from a Keurig machine vs. inconvenient fresh pots of coffee."

DAVID JERNIGAN

 

Sean is a strategy consultant specializing in the technology and energy industries. Previous engagements have led him to San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas and Atlanta. Outside of work, Sean is interested in the development of education and mentorship opportunities in underserved communities. While in San Francisco, he founded Look Forward, an organization focused on career development for high school students.  Sean worked with STE(A)M Truck the summer before starting his MBA program on a scalable, go to market strategy. He was very excited about STE(A)M Truck's impact potential for students and the leadership team's passion for continued success. Sean wishes he could have participated in a Big Build back when he was in middle school.  Sean holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

SEAN OH

Shane Matthews is an inventor; he holds more than a dozen patents with more pending approval. In addition to Community Guilds, Shane serves in an advisory capacity to a number of organizations including ATDC (the Atlanta Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech), C4 Atlanta, the Greenhouse Accelerator, and Maker Faire Atlanta.  Being an inventor, Shane has made many things in his lifetime. What he's trying to build now are communities of makers and entrepreneurs. 

SHANE MATTHEWS

For more information about any of our programs or about sponsorship opportunities, email us at info@steamtruck.org

Community Guilds  c/o Center of Civic Innovation, Third Floor, 115 M.L.K. Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

call us: 478.239.6523
email us: info@steamtruck.org